045. The petering bells

DISCLAIMER :  A personal note,  penned  from my heart.   Therefore, please do not expect any bookish experience !!



"Amma, this is Renju, calling from Delhi.  Can you hear me?   Hope you haven't slept, though its 11 PM.  I am calling now as the STD calling rates are very low now".

"Very happy to hear you.  I was wondering as to why you did not call for more than a week!"

"Amma, I was in the midst of some packing.   I am reaching there next Monday evening.  Will start from here on Saturday, by Kerala Express.   Please ask someone to pick me up from Pettah Railway Station by 5 PM"

"Thats a good news.   Waiting to see you.....".

* * * * * * * *

"Hello, is this Electricity Board Office?"

"Yes, it is!"

"I am calling from the vicinity of  Ophthalmic Hospital.   We, including the neighbouring 5-6 houses are not having electricity for the last one hour.  I know its around 9 PM, but can you please send a lineman to check ?"

"Yes, we are aware of it.  The transformer in your area is having some problem and it is being rectified.    It may take another two hours,  for sure."

 * * * * * * * *

"Hello,  is it Kamalasanan Sir's residence?  This is Ouseph from London.    I would like to speak to Ammamma as her phone seems to be out of order.   Can you kindly ask  her to be there in 15 minutes so that I can call back?"

                                                                         * * * * * * * *

"Hello, yes, this is Renjith's house.   He..... he has gone to play cricket at his friend's place, will be coming only by noon.   Anything urgent?"

"No, not urgent.   I am Rahul's mother.  Rahul is his classmate in the coaching class for Engineering Entrance examination.   Just wanted to check  whether or not the entrance results are out.  Someone called and told me that the Entrance results are published, but I thought of getting a confirmation before going all the way to Jawahar Nagar, which is a bit far from here."

"Oh! Is it?  I am not sure.  No problem, I will ask Renju to go and check the result, when he comes in.  Please give me Rahul's roll number also."

NOTE : Riding my cycle under the hot sun, I went all the way  to Jawahar Nagar  to check the exam result (fate).  The computer generated result sheets (though it resembled festoons)  were displayed on a makeshift notice board,  apparently placed at the veranda of the "Office of Commissioner of Entrance Examinations" to facilitate the "appeasement" of the enthusiastic crowd, comprising mostly (over)concerned  parents. 

True, the results were out.   
Well, the rest is history!

                                                                      * * * * * * * *

"Hello, this is NKS Nair - Rajesh's uncle....... Called to convey that Unni,  Rajesh's father passed away this morning at Madras.  We are going there later today"

"Oh! My God!  What a shock!!   What are the plans now?"

NOTE : Ironically,  within  24 hours that followed, another call was received:

"Hello, Lekshmi here....  NKS Nair Uncle died in a road accident this morning - on his way to Madras".

                                                                      * * * * * * * *

"Hello, Aunty, this is Radha.  How are you?  It has been quite long since I spoke to you.  Aunty, our  Krishna is getting married next month.   The girl is also from Bangalore, now pursuing her final year of Degree.   We will  personally invite you next week as we are coming down to Trivandrum."

                                                                         * * * * * * * *

"Hello, Renjith?"

"Speaking... who is this?"

"This is Bindu....  surprised?"

"What!!??  Come again.... From where you got my number?"

"From the autograph....."

(A POETIC EXPRESSION :  This call, in particular, was the "game changer".  As I write,  both of us share the same two children!! )

                                                                              * * * * * * * *

All the above were picked up erratically from telephonic conversations off and on, over a period of two to three decades or more.    Obviously, there was something in common, or rather,  presence of a silent spectator in all the foregoing snippets.    

Silent observer!   Even though the colors switched periodically as time progressed, if my memory serves me right, she, who stood by us at all times, was initially an ivory colored beauty.  She efficaciously moderated our  thoughts, emotions, expectations and wishes with utmost nonchalance.

Later, the inevitable surge in technological development and advancement coerced her to give way to other related incarnations that were more  mobile and handy to use.

Telephone - or, land line, as we call according to current terminology! 

As a kid, the permutation and combination of the digits it carried, played a pivotal role in chiseling and thereby sharpening my memory skills.   I nurtured a  habit of  memorizing  the telephone numbers of our kith and kin;  and showed them off in family gatherings,  with a motive to implore adulation!   As we speak, the numbers along with its formats have been completely changed - from five digits to seven to ten,  at some places.   And, we are no more fascinated to memorize any telephone numbers either.

In contrast to the present,   the telephones those days had just a monotonous,  standard ringtone - akin to the sound of a prolonged alarm bell.  Having said that, a telephone bell, if rang during odd hours created and still creates panic and dread in most of us.


                                                                              * * * * * * * *

A week ago.

I called Amma,   after a short gap of two days.

"Amma, this is Renju,  Bahrain.  I was desparately trying to reach you on landline for quite a while.  Is it again gone out of order?"

(The landline,  perhaps due to lack of pampering nowadays,   pretends to be sick in the event of any climate change.)  

"Yes, it's  ringtone was not audible enough and  it lacked clarity while talking .  We have been requesting  the Telephones Department to repair or replace it,  but nobody attended to our plaint.   As everyone is using mobile phones more, it seems that the Department is not interested in maintaining land connections further."

"Then, why didn't you raise a written complaint?"

"Since I also feel more convenient using a  mobile phone and I find it difficult moving around on my wheel chair  to pick the call when it rings,  I disconnected the landline yesterday."

                                                                  
                                                                      * * * * * * * *


I experienced a fleeting ache somewhere in me.   The seven digit number, which I treasured close to my heart all these years,  is no more. 

Lot of vivid memories flashed in my mind.    Like a human soul, there was apparently,  some connection! 

Before deleting the number as a contact from my mobile phone, I dialed out the home number once more,  but for the last time...     2 - * - * - * - *- 2-5.

It was ringing  - a false ringback tone, albeit.

The ring .... the tone of the bell went on and on ....

Then, it petered down to oblivion.